Puzzle.



N. C. SHATZER.

PUZZLE.

APPLICATION HLED APR. 6, I916.

Patented Dec. 19,1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l- NCSIzatzer c. SHATZER.

PUZZLE.

APPLICATION HLED APR. 6. i916- Patented Dec. 19,1916.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

awe/whoa N 0. Sim tzer NORMAN C. SHATZER, OF ZULLINGER, PENNSYLVANIA.

PUZZLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 19, 1916.

Application filed April 6, 1916. Serial N 0. 89,423.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, NORMAN C. SHATZER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Zullinger, in the county of Franklin and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Puzzles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to puzzles and more particularly to puzzles of that type comprising a plurality of initially interlocked members capable of manipulation to cause their separation.

It is well known that it is the habit of mother woolly opossums to carry their young upon their backs, the tails of the young being entwined about the tail of the mother and the present invention contemplates forming the two members comprising the puzzle, one to represent the mother opossum and the other one of the young opossums, the tails of the figures being initially interlocked and the members being so constructed that by proper manipulation the tails may be separated.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a view representing the relative positions which the members are first caused to assume in solving the puzzle; Fig. 2 is a similar view illustrating another position which the members are caused to assume; Fig. 3 is a similar view illustrating a further position of the members; Fig. 4: is a similar view illustrating the positions of the members immediately prior totheir relative separation; Fig. 5 is a plan view illustrating a modified form of one of the said members. I

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the accompanying drawings by the same reference characters.

That one of the members which is intended to represent the mother opossum is indicated in general by the reference characterA and the member which represents the young opossum is indicated by the reference character B.

In that form of theinvention shown in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, both members are formed from wire, but in the form shown in Fig. 5, which figure illustrates a plan view of the member which represents the mother opossum, the said member is formed from sh et material. the mem e are formed from wire each member is formed from asingle length of such materlal, and by reference to Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, it will be observed that the member A is bent to the general outline of an opossum with the tail curled over the back, the tail being in the nature of a two strand loop indicated by the numeral land in this particular form of the invention the portion comprising'the outline of the back passes through the bight of the said loop. As stated, in that form of the invention shown in Fig. 5 the member is formed from sheet material and the tail loop is indicated at 1 and is formed by punching or cutting out a portion of the sheet. Y

The member B which represents the young opossum is in all forms of the invention formed from a single length of wire which near one end is bent to represent the nose of the animal as indicated at 2 and adjacent thebend is looped or twisted to represent the eye as indicated at 3 and again as indicated at 4: to represent one of the ears. Beyond the portion 4 the wire is extended to form a portion 5 representing the outline of the back and the wire beyond the portion 5 is bent to form a loop 6 which constitutes one side of the tail loop of the member. At the end of the side 6 the wire is bent to form the bight 7 of the loop this bight receiving the portion 5 which constitutes the back of the member. In forming the bight, and in bending the wire beyond the bight to correspond to the side 6, the other side 8 of the said loop is formed and this side is continued to represent one of the rear legs of the animal as indicated at 9 and thence to represent the outline of the belly of the animal as indicated at 10 and further to represent one of the forelegs as indicated at 11. the wire terminating shortly in advance of the said foreleg 11 and this and the first mentioned end of the wire being slightly spaced to provide a gap or opening l2'representing the mouth of the animal.

Initially the tail loops of the two members are interlocked and, as before stated, by proper manipulation of the members the tail members may be relatively separated.

The first step in solving the puzzle is clearly shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings and while the puzzle may be solved by holding either of the members stationary and manipulating the other member or by simultaneother words, the member B is held stationary in the left hand and the member A alone is manipulated. As stated, Fig. 1 represents the first position which the members are caused to assume and in this position the member A is inverted and what is then the lower portion of the tail loop of this member will be located at the far side .of the front of the tail member B and the rear portion of the tail loop of the member A will be .located at the near side of the upper portion of the tail loop of the member B. With the parts in this position the member A is swung downwardly and slightly tilted rearwardly or, in other words, toward the person manipulating the member until the narrow end of the tail loop 8 passes over the nose 2 of the member B after which the tail loop of the member A is movedupwardly through the gap 12 and the member A is positioned relative to the member B as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings in which position the tail loop of the member A will be located at the far side of the side 6 of the tail loop of the mem ber B adjacent its juncture with the back 5 of the said member and at the same time the tail loop of the member A will be at the near side of the upper portion of this said side of the tail loop of the second mentioned member. With the parts in this position the member A is swung upwardly and to the left about its tail loop as a pivot and is at the same time given a complete turn forwardly until the tail loop of the said member A seats in the bight 7 of the tail loop of the member B as shown in Fig. 8 of the drawings. The member A is then shifted bodily forwardly so as to pass its tail loop over the nose 2 of the member B and the said member A is then shifted bodily to the left and thence forwardly so as to pass its tail loop over the loop defined by the side 6 of the tail loop of the member B whereupon the tail loop of the member A will be located between the sides 6 and 8 of the tail loop of the member B as illustrated in Fig. 4 of the drawings and the members may be then bodily separated by moving the member A to the right and the member B to the left.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is: 1. A puzzle of the class described including members having loops designed to be initially interlocked, one member being of skeleton formation and its loop comprising sides connected at one end of the loop by a bight receiving one side of the open body portion of the member, the said side of the body portion constituting a'continuation of one side of the said loop, and another side of the said body portion constituting a continuation of the other side of the loop, the body portion being provided with a gap.

2. Apuzzl'e of the class described including members having loops designed to be initially interlocked, one member being of skeleton formation and its loop comprising sides con nected at one end of the loop by a bight receiving one side of the open body portion of the member, the said side of the body portion constituting a continuation of one side of the said loop, and another side of the said body portion constituting a continuation of the other side of the loop, the body portion being provided with a gap, the loop of the other member being of a diameter to permit of the passage of either side of the same through the said gap while the loops are mutually engaged.

3. A puzzle of the class described including members having loops designed to be initially interlocked, one member being of skeleton formation and its loop comprising sides connected at one end of the loop by a bight receiving one side of the open body portion of the member, the said side of the body portion constituting a continuation of one side of the said loop, and another side of the said body portion constituting a continuation of the other side of the loop, the body portion being provided with a gap, the loop of the said member being located at one end of the said member and the gap near the other end thereof and the loop of the other member being so proportioned as to permit of passage of the loop over the last mentioned end of the first mentioned member and through the said gap while the loops are mutually engaged.

4. A puzzle of the class described including members having loops designed to be initially interlocked, one member being of skeleton formation and its loop comprising sides connected at one end of the loop by a bight receiving one side of the open body portion of the member, the said side of the body portion constituting a continuation of one side of the said loop, and another side of the said body portion constituting a continuation of the other side of the loop, the body portion being provided with a gap, the loop NORMAN o. SHATZER. 1. 8.

Copies of this patent may be obtained-for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner or patents, Washington, D. G. 

